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Sunday, January 1, 2012

Will the Senate listen to the new motion of SC Chief Justice?

We have an interesting situation in the impeachment of the Chief Justice, the Honorable Renato Corona, by the lower house.

The so-called reply by the Chief Justice should not be accepted by the Senate and should be vigorously opposed as properly submitted by the Chief Justice for the simple reason of being defective: it does not carry His Honor's signature. Imagine the Chief Justice violating a cardinal rule in legal proceedings. Such a legally learned man has some hidden motivation expressed by his own refusal to verify he concurs to the truths implied in his required reply to the impeachment charge.

Moreso, the 79 page reply by CJ Corona to the impeachment charge claimed that the impeachment was defective since the complaint failed to comply with the requirement of verification and the complaint is insufficient in substance and form.

It would be the height of stupidity for the Senate if it gives in to the demands of CJ Corona. Not only that, it gives an impression that the Senate questions the logic of its own equal, the House of Representatives. Another thing the reply also made unproven charges of unconstitutionality of the House move to transmit the article of impeachmnt to the Senate.

As if the Supreme Court itself is perfect in dealing with cases under its consideration. Already it has been disclosed that the Supreme Court itself issues decisions (as in the Ombudman Gutierrez impeachemnt case) without due deliberations and even without giving its own Justices full copies of the cases at hand.

The reply also allege that the blitzkrieg adoption of the complaint was due to the concerted action of the majority coalition dominated by the Liberal Party headed by President Aquino. Actually, a Philstar columnist Jarius Bondoc has written a cogent opinion piece, available also online!:

We recommend that the Senate ignores this new motion by the defense of Chief Justice Corona, questioning the constitutionality of the impeachment complaint,and the request to dismiss the impeachment complaint. Instead, the Senate concentrate on its constitutional mandated responsibility of holding impeachment trials.